Strangers in the Night
by Darklyng
Summary: A vampire hunter is caught between the man she has learned to love and the monster that changed her life forever. Who can she trust? May be NC-17, I don't know yet. I'll update the rating later, but right now I'm going to be safe.
1. Now or Never

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I don't know where this story is going, I'm letting the characters write it themselves. It may be five chapters long, it may be fifty. I'm rating this story R just in case. If I feel the rating should change I'll change it. Reviews are welcome by all, especially if your name happens to be Xanthos...You got me into this mess, babe. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Now or Never

I stood silently in the crowd, my gaze darting from person to person, taking in every detail but never resting too long on one face. The breeze of the city air hit my face hot and bitter as the average passerby jostled passed me. I kept a close watch on everything, making sure that these people were indeed as average as they appeared to be.

Rule Number One: Never trust your senses.

The speed of the passing crowds surged forward, trailing me along in it's current like a piece of driftwood caught in a riptide. I allowed my pace to be set by the mass, attempting to stay as inconspicuous as I could. I hadn't stayed alive this long by standing out in a crowd.

The people around me had their overwhelming concerns floating through their heads: what do eat for dinner, how to get the boss off their back, how would they pick up their kids from practice and still make it home in time for the seven o'clock news? They were lost in their own little worlds, oblivious to the fact that so much was happening right under their noses if they only dared look closer. I'm not even talking about the world where vampires and werewolves exist. I'm talking about the chase. The one that has my life at stake.

I blended with the undulating throng, weaving in and out of various paths and all the while keeping my guard up for a tall man with deep red hair. Deep red hair and gold eyes. Eyes filled with maliciousness, the stuff that causes nightmares in the mind of a nineteen year old girl barely a woman...

I stopped mid thought. I could feel eyes on me tracking my every move and following close. Close, but not close enough. How long had I let my mind wander? Not even a moment. Damn.

Rule Number Two: Never let your guard down.

I wasn't ready. There were too many people around, too many innocents for this shit to go down now. The very thing that I thought would keep me safe hindered my actions. He was following me, closing in, and I was helpless to stop him. Well, maybe not helpless...but I sure didn't have a shit load of options.

I turned the corner and entered an alley. Don't believe what you read, alleys aren't always dark. This one happened to be very well lit in fact. The sunlight played on the pavement and made the brick-enclosed space seem almost comfortable. A cat was curled up in the patch of sun as content as if it were on the softest rug in a warm suburban house with 2.3 kids and a pool out back. I would have preferred a dark, sketchy alley. I might have been able to hide. Well...maybe not, but a girl can dream, can't she?

I moved a little further down the alley. The cat glanced up at me with eyes heavy with sleep and contentment. It's meow was higher pitched than I would have thought. It quickly got up and ran down the alley. Smart cat. I heard movement behind me, more of a feeling of movement than an actual sound and I knew I couldn't run any longer. I turned slowly, attempting a casual air and a brilliant smile. Hey, don't mock it till you've tried it, you'd be amazed how disarming a smile and a nice attitude can be when you're fighting for your life. If nothing else at least I'd make my mom proud with my good manners.

My gaze found the figure at the edge of the alley, still halfway in the busy street. It was now or never.


	2. Chance Encounters

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Sorry it took so long to get this up. I had some problems along the way…first winter break, and I forgot the next story at school…then I got back and my computer was out of commission for about four weeks…then I got sick. Yeah, so here's the next chapter. Hope everything's in order, especially since the website's giving me such grief. Hope you like it!!! I'll post again soon, I promise.

Chance Encounters

My heart stopped in my throat. He stood there just the same as I remembered him from six years before: hair as dark as blood, light brown eyes that burned into my head, aristocratic features that mocked his aura of cruelty with gentleness. 

I couldn't move, I was caught under his gaze. I tried to move…tried…but all I could do was stare helplessly into his eyes, letting them consume me in a fire that I knew came from within me…I was going to die…

And then I felt the soft fur of the cat on my leg. With that brief contact, I could move. I looked down at the cat, who looked up at me with golden eyes tinged with green in a loving gaze. Suddenly, I was cooler, more sure of myself. I looked up at Kellan and met his stare.

He seemed taken aback, but recovered quickly. "Ah, Kathryn, so good to see you again. How's the family?" Kellan asked. The smile that crossed his face wiped away all pretense of gentleness from his face and I was left looking into a visage of such pure maliciousness that it shook me to my core, regardless of the fact that I'd known his real self from the beginning.

"How's the cheek?" I asked back, the smile still on my face. My gaze darted quickly to the long scar that cut his right cheek diagonally from ear almost to chin. His hand went to his face, then he looked at his hand as if it were a traitor to his body and turned his cold stare back on me, his gaze full of promise.

"We'll finish this later, my Kathryn," she said, turning smoothly to leave the well-lit alley.

"It's Astrea now, and I look forward to it."

He never turned around, just continued to glide out of the alley, calling back only once. "Come along," he ordered in a commanding voice. Confused, I merely stared at his receding back. Did he really think I was going to follow him? Then I saw that the little blond cat was following him out of the alley. The cat looked back at me once, a look of longing in his eyes. 

Then I was alone in the alley. The sunlight seemed stronger, warmer somehow, and I realized how cold I was. I closed my eyes and turned my face to the light. When I opened my eyes, I was back in my room at the Center. Back in my bed, back in my life and what had become of me.

Most days I don't know if I wish my dreams came true or not, and this day was no different. I got out of bed, turned off my alarm, and got to work.


End file.
